A principal-led studio building editorial-grade websites for founders, creators, and premium service businesses. Art-directed craft. Published scope and milestones. Client-owned accounts.
Three ways I build websites.
From a single editorial landing page to a flagship brand rebuild. Each build gets an explicit performance budget, search-ready structure, and a visual system designed to signal premium the moment it opens.
Stuck in a tangle of WordPress plugins, security patches, and hosting lock-in? I plan a modern, client-owned exit with every account in your name: URL inventory, redirect mapping, SEO-sensitive launch checks, and a documented hosting-cost target.
Smart lead capture, on-site AI chat trained on your content, semantic search, booking flows, content pipelines, CRM sync. The layer that turns a website from a pretty brochure into a system that actually works for you.
Inspect the studio-owned reference build directly. The two companion plates are illustrative capability samples—not client projects or outcome claims.
The studio's own reference build. Spatial editorial engine, custom motion, bespoke type system, hand-tuned grain, and ambient lighting. It is engineered toward a 95+ Lighthouse performance target and WCAG 2.2 AA acceptance checks.
A redacted-format example of the controls an Odyssey engagement is designed to produce: a URL inventory, redirect map, analytics baseline, form-delivery test, account register, cutover checklist, and rollback path.
An illustrative, non-client blueprint for a premium service site: content model, reusable page system, lead routing, analytics plan, editor documentation, and an ownership-first handoff.
✻ Capability samples describe planned deliverables and safeguards, not customer outcomes. The live reference build above can be inspected directly.
Why this works better than the alternatives.
Five steps. One senior operator the whole way.
Goals, audience, references, and what must be preserved. Migration work begins with the $1,500 Delphi Migration Audit; a $750 Fit Check is available for the scope-locked SiteLift route. Discovery and audits are 100% upfront. If a qualifying project proceeds within 30 days, 50% of that fee credits toward the kickoff Project Retainer. The credit is capped at that Project Retainer, lapses if unused after 30 days, and does not roll forward to later milestones.
Editorial concepts, not wireframes. One or two directions, align on one, refine across two rounds of revisions built into the fee.
Live staging URL, weekly written updates, async-by-default. No radio silence. Calls only when they add value.
DNS cutover, redirect mapping, performance verification, accessibility audit, and QA pass. The signed launch plan sets a low-risk weekday and excludes Friday or pre-holiday cutovers.
Written documentation, recorded walkthroughs, and a training call. Your domain, hosting, CMS, analytics, email, and other client accounts stay in your name. Completed deliverables defined in the proposal transfer on final payment; reusable methods, components, and internal tools remain Toledo's unless signed terms say otherwise. The proposal defines the included post-launch support window.
Canonical ranges, written scope, and milestone terms before work begins.
Ranges are planning guides in USD; a signed scope sets the project price. Discovery and audits are 100% upfront. If a qualifying project proceeds within 30 days, 50% of that fee credits toward the kickoff Project Retainer. The credit is capped at that Project Retainer, lapses if unused after 30 days, and does not roll forward to later milestones. Rush delivery (<50% standard timeline) is +30–50%. Hosting, domains, and third-party software are separate. Monthly Care Plans run from $750 to $10,000+/mo.
You might actually have.
Yes — that's the whole point. I set up a client-friendly CMS (usually Sanity, Framer, or Decap depending on your stack) so you can edit text, images, and pages without touching code. Includes documentation and a training session so you're confident making changes.
Your domain, hosting, CMS, analytics, email, and other client accounts stay in your name from day one. I document every login, vendor, and renewal date. Completed deliverables defined in the proposal transfer on final payment; reusable methods, components, and internal tools remain Toledo's unless signed terms say otherwise.
Projects $5K–$15K: 40% kickoff Project Retainer / 40% staging / 20% handoff. $15K–$50K: 30% kickoff Project Retainer / 30% build / 25% staging / 15% launch. $50K+: custom milestone billing. Discovery and audits are 100% upfront. If a qualifying project proceeds within 30 days, 50% of that fee credits toward the kickoff Project Retainer. The credit is capped at that Project Retainer, lapses if unused after 30 days, and does not roll forward to later milestones. Late or missed payments pause work.
Two revision rounds are built into every project. If you want a third, it's billed at the standard rate ($175/hr standard work, $225/hr complex work). Bigger scope changes get a written change order — you see the price impact and timeline impact before any work happens. No surprise invoices.
Arcadia: 1–2 weeks. Aegis: 2–3 weeks. Laurel: 3–6 weeks. Odyssey: 4–8 weeks. Elysian: 6–12 weeks. Olympian timelines are custom. Timing depends on access, feedback, and content readiness. Rush delivery is available for a 30–50% premium when calendars allow.
Modern stacks: Next.js, Astro, or Framer for the frontend; Sanity, Framer, or Decap for content; Vercel, Cloudflare Pages, or Render for hosting. No bloated page builders, no plugin dependency. Just fast, clean, maintainable code that doesn't require a developer on retainer.
This site is the public, studio-owned reference build and can be inspected directly. The companion plates above are explicitly labeled capability samples: they show the intended controls, architecture, and handoff format, but they are not client projects or performance claims.
The nail-gun principle. I use modern tools and agentic AI workflows for repetitive, pattern-heavy work such as boilerplate code, tests, and content migration. That leaves more time for design, architecture, performance, and decisions that require human judgment. The signed scope, review steps, and acceptance criteria stay explicit regardless of which tools support the work.
Yes. I'll build from existing designs (Figma, Sketch, or otherwise), collaborate with your marketing team, or operate as a white-label developer for agencies. Clear communication and documented handoffs are part of the deal.
Monthly care plans start at $750/mo (Hearth Care, 2 hrs) and ladder up to $1,500/mo (Aegis Care, 6 hrs), $4,500/mo (Laurel Care, 15 hrs), and $10,000+/mo (Olympian Care, 40 hrs). Or pay hourly at the standard rate. Care is optional; account ownership and the documented handoff keep you from being locked in.
Yes — but those are scoped separately from website work. Different process, different pricing, different proposal. If your project needs both a website and an app, we scope them as two engagements. I'll tell you honestly which conversation to have first.
Send the current URL and the change you need. Nicholas reviews each inquiry and replies directly by email; migration projects can start with the structured audit intake.
